Halfway House (A Eminem interracial love story) #Wattys2019

All Eyez on Me

  Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.


Did you want to see me broken? 
Bowed head and lowered eyes? 
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.  ~Maya Angelou

Gardina's P.O.V  28 years ago

"Gardina get your narrow behind in this kitchen and sweep up won't you?" A woman yelled from the kitchen.

I  sighed putting the magazine that i was reading down on the bed  and hesitantly getting off the bed before my mom came up there and yelled some more.

"Don't you ever get tired of yelling?" I asked her as soon as I entered the kitchen.

"Don't you ever get tired of being lazy?" She shot back handing me the broom while continuing to cook Sunday dinner.

"My my, children these days, just don't have no manners." Grandma June said while shaking her head from the dinner table, she was busy knitting up a blanket while occasionally telling Gardina's mom how to be a better cook.

I sighed and began sweeping up around the kitchen, "Where's Deshaun why can't he sweep, he don't be doing nothing anyway but running around here thinking he's the next LL cool J." I frowned.

"He's out with his  friend." Mama said stirring her greens around.

"The white boy?" Grandma June said raising her glasses.

"Yes mom the white boy." Mama confirmed adding in some chicken broth and more seasoning into her greens.

"Well that's good he done made himself a little white friend, shows diversity, something we didn't have back in my day." Grandma June said putting her glasses back on.

"Here we go." I mumbled rolling my eyes knowing that we were about to get a full on lecture about the history of the past.

"What was that now child?" Grandma June's voice raised catching me by surprise, "Mhm that's what's wrong with you children, don't ever wanna listen when someone's trying to teach you something for your own good, now instead of running around with that little Nail nappy headed boy-

"His name's Lanelle." I corrected tired of everyone getting his name wrong.

"Same, difference." Grandma said. "Anyway you gone mess around and get pregnant with all that foolishness, you a smart girl Gardina, start acting like it instead of like a dollar bill." She huffed her knitting getting more tangled since she was getting all worked up.

"Like a dollar bill?" I questioned.

"Yes, getting passed around to any and everyone." She said causing mama to almost drop her spoon.

"Did you just call my daughter a hoe?" Mom shouted her mouth a gaped.

"She's my Granddaughter too, and I hate to say it like that sweetie but tell me something other wise." Grandma said looking straight at her with those eyes that shined with wisdom and authority.

I just stood in silence, not even being able to defend myself because little did Grandma June know, I was already was thinking I was pregnant since I hadn't received my monthly visitor in over a month. I was just to scared to take a pregnancy test and confirm it, but this talk...it definitely didn't ease my worries at all.

"Anyway finish sweeping up, dinner's almost ready." Mom said snapping me out of my inner turmoil as I hurriedly finished sweeping so I could go back upstairs.

I was just dumping out the dust and garbage into the garbage bin when Deshaun suddenly came in along with his little white friend, what was his name?